Hana Junior High's Invisible Thief
by BEAFSTAKES
Summary: Chapter 2 of Samurai Phantom Rekka Series! A thief is on the loose at school, and Ryo's classmate is being accused in it! What's behind this? Please R&R! ON HIATUS
1. Prologue: Realizations

(_**Disclaimer: **I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)_

_(**Author's Notes: **The SECOND CHAPTER is here! Yay! You know what I mean! Please still continue to R&R! Sorry if there are some mistakes, just tell me, okay? PLEASE NO FLAMING, just bear with me, kei... sorry...)_

**SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: HANA JUNIOR HIGH'S INVISIBLE THIEF**

**Prologue: REALIZATIONS**

"Y'know what?" said Ryo one beautiful Saturday morning taking some tea and rice crackers for breakfast, "I still can't hardly believe that really happen'd..."

"Surely it is!" Byakkouen answered with his mouth full of fish, "And if isn't, how can you explain a talking striped cat having breakfast with a human, eh?"

"THAT isn't normal..."

"What's more: how can you explain about last Tuesday night?"

"It's really like a dream... no, a nightmare!" and finished his tea, "By the way," turning to the cat, "I forgot to ask: Speakin' of last night..."

"Well... about last night..." and gulped his meal thoroughly, "You need not to worry about that. Everything went back normal in the museum and Tsukabashi's painting will never bring harm to anyone anymore! We have already sealed the oni, remember?"

"Yeah, right..." Ryo stood up and took the plates to be washed in the kitchen.

"And do you still remember Mr. Takano? And the three other men who were once stucked in the painting?"

"How are they?" he asked from the kitchen.

"They're okay now. They had been at home since Wednesday after that incident, I guess. But I think they will never make it for their job this week, especially Mr. Takano, due to fever. He caught it after that night..."

"Did they remember anythin'?" he asked, a little worried.

"Don't worry. They didn't remember anything..."

"Not a single thing?"

"Na-ah. Not even my voice."

"...That's odd..."

"It sure really is... According to what I have heard, they even said that they were just dreaming about that night..."

"They thought so..." and he went back to the sala, sitting on couch, "Ei, Kitty..."

"What?" the cat stood up.

"Well, I'm just wond'rin'," and he rested his chin with his hand, "Does it have any connection to the mysterious archer we saw last night?"

Byakkouen's face was filled with thoughts when Ryo asked about the archer.

"Man, he's so rude! He even didn't bother to introduce himself! Is that so hard? I mean, to introduce himself first before chargin' or somethin'?"

Both cannot help themselves but to remember that night, when the Blue Archer mysteriously appeared in the moonlit sky, floating. His blue energy arrow saved him from theoni's realm. But one strange thing is that the archer also attempted to hit him. After that incident, he just disappeared without noticing him...

Indeed, the mysterious Blue Archer.

"An' ya even said that you've felt a diffusion on that archer... D'ya think that he's also a Phantom like me or Shuten?"

"My instincts could not be mistaken..." seriously, "A diffusion is within him. What I'm wondering right now is that how he had managed to control it almost perfectly..."

"Have ya ever tried to guess the diffusion he has right now?"

The cat curved his lips, "Well... not much, yet. But the mental ability he has might give me a clue: he has psychokinesis..."

"...Psycho... what?"

"Psychokinesis. It is an ability to control something mentally. Make objects fly, gravity control, etc. But still I couldn't guess his elemental power, if he has, if it is embedded by a Confucian or a Bushido virtue. This never happened to me before when I still can guess it right..."

"So it wouldn't help at all..." and he leaned on a couch, "Man, whatta mystery he is!"

"You bet!"

As Ryo looked outside the window, a bright and warm sunshine with the concierto of the birds in the cypress trees didn't help his bothering self at all. Still thinking about the last night's incident, the mysterious figure of what they called 'The Blue Archer' started to bother his mind.

_Blue Archer..._ looking at the sky,_ Who REALLY are you...?_

_(This is the prologue to this chapter. Sorry for the delay, I was celebrating Christmas and at the same time got sick on New Year's Eve! Isn't it that AWFUL? Anyway, for those who just reviewed my first fic, THANKS A LOT and please continue to R&R especially this one. Sorry for the mess!)_


	2. Episode 1: A Beautiful Monday! Or Is It?

(_**Disclaimer: **I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)_

_(**Author's Notes: **The SECOND CHAPTER is here! Yay! You know what I mean! Please still continue to R&R! Sorry if there are some mistakes, just tell me, okay? PLEASE NO FLAMING, just bear with me, kei... sorry...)_

**SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: HANA JUNIOR HIGH'S INVISIBLE THIEF**

**Episode One: A BEAUTIFUL MONDAY!... OR IS IT?**

One beautiful Monday morning.

Exactly 6:30 and almost everyone in their Hana uniforms were about to come in to their respective classrooms, or somewhere else that they have to go to. Only minimal rooms yet have a handful of early worms to monitor the cleanliness of their rooms today. Some were very early to start their day on their trainings in various fields, like the Track and Field Club who were doing this routine ever since. Some just ate their breakfast of their choice in their own rooms, chatting about their break-up with their boyfriends or girlfriends, or their laments about their terror teachers or their parents who were stingy enough to get hold of their allowances for being a bad son or daughter for reasons that only adults could understand. Or some loverbirds that it was so early that they were strolling around the campus garden together holding hands and smiling, indeed fitting for a beautiful start of another whole day of books, Japanese and English language, numbers, formulas and P.E. classes. And to add the beauty of the early rising sun, every student of Hana would greet their friends and classmates with the happiest of their hearts...

"GOOD MORNING!"

"Hey, man, mornin'!"

"How's yer sleep?"

"Good morning, applepie!"

"Mornin', too, cheesecake!"

"Hey, good morning!"

...Or is it?

An eighth-grader girl was about to get her key in her bag to get a few things from her locker. Humming to her favorite tune, she opened her locker with a big smile, but something surprised her.

What is surprising, anyway? Some of her books were placed there and was arranged in neat order. Her P.E. uniform is also there. Her notes, too. But no caterpillar nor a mouse nor even a spider to frighten up her beautiful Monday.

But willher Monday be actually that beautiful if...

"Oh no... my favorite blue ballpen... IT'S GONE!"

----------

Another student came in and opened his shoe locker to get his indoor shoes.It isa Japanese custom in school to wear proper indoor school shoes provided by the school itself to maintain the cleanliness of the building and also a sign of respect, as to removing any footwear before entering a house. But when he opened the locker...

"Hey... WHERE ARE MA' SHOES???"

----------

Almost seven. In Ryo's classroom 2-B, almost everybody was talking about this morning thief case.

"I SWEAR it!" it was the girl in the locker a while ago, who happened to be a classmate of Ryo, "I'm sure that my locker's securely closed! And I'm also sure that I placed my favorite ballpen in it, then it's gone! My boufriend gave it to me on our first monthly anniversary! And if he learned about it, he will surely become upset to me..." almost in tears.

"So do I!" another joined in, "My P.E. uniform's gone, too, but my locker's just closed when I came in! What should I do? Our practical test is scheduled today..."

"Me either! My badminton set has just dissappeared, too! So I've no choice but to cancel my trainin' at Badminton Club!"

"An' ma' cherish'd bask'tball with Jord'n's signacha also dissappear'd!"

"Ma' favorite book, too!"

"An' ma' new bat!"

"So with my sewin' kit!"

"My guitar's gone, too!"

Until the whole class joined in. As if all of them were victims of this morning's celebrated case.

Ryo was then eating his favorite breakfast of cheese crepe in the classroom, still watching at the chirpingbirds perching in the cherry blossom tree, when...

"Ei, Ryo!" Jumbo called him.

"What?" he turned around, still munching his breakfast.

"D'ya lost somethin' this mornin'?"

"...Well... no... nothin', not yet..."

"Lucky for ya," Chibi chat in, "There's a big case of theft happ'nin' here in our school only this mornin'!"

"Really?" he wondered, his mouth still stuffed with crepe.

"I've heard from other classes that their things were also stolen by an unknown culprit..." Yukari came, "Most of the stolen things were very important to most of the students..."

"An' not just the students!", Yukaru also joined in,"Teachers and other non-teaching staff as well! I've heard that our Mathe teacher's purple purse was also stolen! Inside of that are all his ATM and credit cards and cold cash worth 200,000 yen! And come to think of it, he had just bought it while on his vacation in Barcelona!"

"Where the hell IS Barcelona?" Jumbo asked with stupidity.

"In SPAIN, you jerk!"

"That STINGY professor?" Chibi cleared out, "Hah, serves 'im right!"

"Oh, come ON!" Yukaru voiced out, "Don't ya have a heart? He's also a victim like us!"

Ryo just blinked at his classmates' conversation, seeming that he doesn't understand anything, being busy with his breakfast. Until Jumbo turned to him.

"Ya hafta be careful now, Sanada. Who knows, ya might be his NEXT victim! So keep an eye on yer things or you'll be like us!"

Ryo, a bit emontionless, just nodded. Until...

BANG!

Everyone was surprised at the bang of the door, thinking that someone is now carrying a gun (which is definitely NOT ALLOWED in school) trying to find the culprit to 'kill' him. But the noticed that it was just Luna, who is obviously had a very BAD day today.

"Um, Miss President..." Yukari called, "Is there somethin'..."

"YES, THERE'S SOMETHIN' DAMN WRONG!"

Everyone went blank. She is possessed! Never that they had seen Luna Williams beenso pissed off like that.

Only Ryo had the courage to talk to her, "Lemme guess: somethin's stolen from ya, am I right?"

Luna stared at him, "How'd ya know?"

Ryo just scratched his chin with his finger, "Well... it's just that the people here are talkin' 'bout the big theft case happen'd only this mornin'. An' by the way you're actin' today, it looks like ya wanna kill that thief, whoever he is..."

It seemed that Luna had given up. She sat on one of the chairs and rested her chin on both hands, "Yeah, right..." she snorted, "Ma' dictionary that I bought only yesterday has just stol'n in ma' bag minutes ago while takin' ma' otha things from ma' locker... Well, everythin's in a zap, then!"

"Oh, no..." Yukari exclamed.

"Even Miss President?" Yukaru cannot believe it.

"THIS is gettin' worse," Chibi sighed, "Don't ya think, man?"

Luna stood in rage again! "AAAGH! I swear by the heav'ns I'll get that outlaw! Whoeva he is, I'LL MAKE 'IM PAY!!!"

"-----"

Silence came as the teacher came in.

----------

_(Episode one FINALLY! Sorry for the LONG delay for my choir rehersals and our nearing exams kills my time! But at least I was able to do it! Hope ya would understand! And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, R&R! Till then, episode two is up next in no time!)_


	3. Episode 2: The Culprit

(_**Disclaimer: **I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)_

_(**Author's Notes: **The SECOND CHAPTER is here! Yay! You know what I mean! Please still continue to R&R! Sorry if there are some mistakes, just tell me, okay? PLEASE NO FLAMING, just bear with me, kei... sorry...)_

**SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: HANA JUNIOR HIGH'S INVISIBLE THIEF**

**Episode Two: THE CULPRIT**

"I guess everybody's here..." the homeroom teacher started while preparing his things for Biology discussion later on, then rested his both hands on the table, looking around to see if everyone is already inside, "Well... I guess you've already heardof a thief roaming around the school premises just this morning. It's very possible for an outsider to sneak in just easily since our school's security is tight enough to handle treaspassers, but it can be from HERE, itself: either a teacher, a non-teaching personnel, a security personnel, or EVEN a student, can do this crime. Whoever he or she is, or whatever is his or her motive, it's still a mystery..." And after he explained everything about the case, still looking around if in case that there will be another student coming, "Okay... how many of you have been victimized already?"

Half of the class raised their hands. Thus they started to whisper to each other. Ryo just resting his chin with almost an emotionless face, Luna, still boiling hot with anger, trying to calm herself, and more whispers had been heard that slowly turning louder and louder.

"Well..." the teacher continued and the students stopped a bit, "It seems that almost ALL of us became victims, eh?"

Everyone was surprised. More whispers and chats followed.

"Well... Thirty minutes before I came in, while I'm fixing my things for the next lesson, I was looking for my class record that I just put inside my office drawer yesterday afternoon but when I opened it... it's gone."

"Man. that's AWFUL!" one commented.

"So unruly!" commented another.

"Our previous grades were there, right?" and another huffed in.

"Hmm..." it made Chibi thought for the worse, "I wonder if I hafta be happy or not on what happen'd to that class record..."

"Oh, c'mon!" the twins chorused from the back, "It's NO time for yer jokes!"

The teacher, upon hearing the class noise, "Okay, class, settle down, I'm not yet through with my story!"

And the whole class became quiet.

The teacher, then, sighed heavily, giving way for his continuation, "It's so odd, though. My drawer was locked, I'm sure of that, and yet the thief still managed to open it... Well, I'm so sure that the thief has all the keys to the school and that's the oddest part. However that happened, we don't know. So I guess... we have to start from scratch..."

"So ya mean, Sir," Luna suddenly stood up with a unbelievable expression, "All our grades from there will be VOID???"

"Ya mean ev'rythin' will be back to ZERO???" Yukari jerked up.

"DARN IT!!!" Jumbo boomed out that made everyone a little shocked because of his voice, "That means ma' precious A in ma' Biology project will be a WASTE at all!!!"

Shocked by his words, "Tomodatsu, watch your mouth!" the teacher warned him.

"...Sorry, Sir..." strucked with shame, he just sat down timidly. The others just sat down, too, but their anger over the culprit is still there waiting for a bomb to explode their hearts with damned faces.

Seeing his students almost furious of the mystery, he once again gave a heavy sigh and sat down to calm himself, for he, too, cannot take hold of his anger anymore. "I'm so sorry, people, but for now we cannot do anything about it. We have no coice but to forget your grades from the last time. Believe me, but it's just temporary, don't worry. Sooner or later they will find that culprit and hope that everything he or she stole will not be lost or it'll be useless..."

Until another student came, as the teacher expected, that broke out the silence.

It was, upon the arrival of their last classmate: A short boy, but a little taller than Chibi, with a little long, vandyke hair, covering his ears and almost his eyes. He has large eyeglasses and his uniform buttoned but a little bit crumpled. The teacher noticed him with just a plain face.

"You're late again, Nomura..." he said, but no trace of anger can be heard in his voice because of the incident a while ago, "You're lucky, my record's been stolen, thanks to that culprit, whoever that is... Jus take your sit and we will start our lesson in just a while..."

The Nomura boy immediately went to his seat--on the third column on the very back right, the cleaning materials are just on his back. He started to take his necessary things for the lesson. Books were even slipped out accidentally thus he still have to pick them up, almost in a hurry, thinking that picking up his fallen books is just a waste of his very short time. The students, meanwhile, set their suspicious eyes on him, as if they see him as their PRIMARY SUSPECT of the crime. The boy just ignored them with his eyes lowered,as if he is avoiding them, focusing only of his things, without any word at all. This made the others became more suspicious of him.

Ryo, and even Luna, noticed their classmates looking sharply at the nerd as if they were about to develop a hypothesis regarding the mystery.

"Why's it they're looking at him like that?" Luna asked worriedly.

Turning to Jumbo, "Y'see 'im asthe suspect," Ryo interrupted, "If I'm not mistak'n..."

"Y'know HIM, Sanada..." Jumbo answered still fixing his sharp eyes on the silent nerd, "We KNOW him so well..."

"Haven't ya noticed?" Chibi joined the two at the back, "He 's the only one who doesn'treact 'bout the mystery!"

"An' how 'bout ME, then?" Ryo asked a little casual.

"Well, man, I mean, he's the only one who doesn't care 'bout the mystery! Unlike YOU, at least..."

"Well, man, it's even not that enough to see 'im like that..."

But all their eyes were in the nerd again. The nerd, meanwhile, was trying to avoid their suspicious eyes as if he is the only one in the classroom.

Upon noticing it, Luna stood up and went towards Ryo's gang, "Are ya tryin' to accuse Nomura's the culprit?"

They turned to her. 'We hafta admit it," Yukari said, "but look at 'im! He even doesn't set his eyes on us!"

"Yeah!" Yukaru agreed. "An' who knows if his bag's stuff'd with stolen property!"

"Duh???" Ryo reacted on Yukaru's hypothesis, "Ya mean his bag's LARGE enough to put a stolen guitar an' a badminton set or a basketball all into ONE schoolbag? Get REAL, girl! Unless it's convertable into a large one..."

Everyone turned to Ryo.

"Hey, man!" Jumbo reacted, "Ya don't say ya don't believe in us, d'ya?"

"I don't say that," he answered, "But I don't believe he's the suspect, either. How can ya say that he's the one without proof, an' it doesn't mean that he doesn't talk so much that means ya'll just acuse him for just that!"

"But man, can't ya see?" Chibi interrupted, "That's the POINT! He doesn't talk too much 'specially 'bout that! Who knows, he might be hidin' those things somewhere an' he has the keys somewhere or somethin'..."

Hearing the noise from the back, "Sanada and company!" the teacher called their attention, "If there's something you want to clarify before our next lesson, please feel free to use the floor and share it to your classmates! It's not fair if only you could hear what you're saying..."

Realizing that the lesson was about to start, they went back to their respected seats and fixed themselves, as the teacher started to talk about the structure of the cells.

But then their eyes focused not on the lesson, but on the timid nerd who is still avoiding their eyes with little fear. The suspicions deepen as the Nomura boy became more nervous, tring to concentrate more on the teacher's voice rather than their eyes so sharp that they wanted to cease him already. Clasping his hands, Ryo cannot help but to look at him with pity.

_Kotaru Nomura... He was been my classmate since last year. He's well-known as the class nerd. He's not that smart, though. He's always timid and shy and doesn't have any friends here. He's always alone but strang'ly enjoys to be one. He always avoid almost everyone and never talk'd too much... In his timid attitude surely he'll be mistak'n as the suspect. He's so passive that he can't defent himself... Poor him. I'm not his friend, really, but I always feel pity on him. Why he doesn't want to talk to anyone of us here? If he's afraid of talkin' to us, then he's not yet mature enough to take care of himself! He has no friends to talk with... But why's it that he enjoys bein' alone?... Why...?_

And formal classes has started although the whole school is still bothered by the mystery of the crime. And it is really NOT a beautiful Monday at all...

-----

_(The name **Kotaru** is also another original charater of the story and doesn't have any relation to the original YST plot.)_

_(WOW! Thanks to Firestorm for reviewing my story! Umm... So you've noticed it. I'M SO SORRY, man. Yeah, I'm trying but there are times that I'm running out of little ideas to add-up, but thanks for reminding me, I'll take your advice. And to the story, notALL of them are victims, including Ryo, butwe'll see about that as the story goes on. And you're also asking who is **Luna** here? I'vealready saidfrom the first chapter (See Samurai Phantom Rekka Chapter One Episode Three at the endnote)that Luna here is from GAIDEN, yap! Why's it I put her in? It seems that she is a nice character. Besides, this is an AU fic so you would be surprised that I turned her into a respectable class president from being a street girl from NY but her inner character is still there. Soon you will also find out her REAL purpose in this story. So that's it, I've explained almost everything! He-he... Well, SALAMAT PO (thank you!) for reviewing! For those still not yet read it, please do! Comments and suggestions are welcome! Thanks a lot! Episode Three up next! MWWAAAAAHHH!!!)_


	4. Episode 3: Kotaru

(_**Disclaimer: **I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)_

_(**Author's Notes: **The SECOND CHAPTER is here! Yay! You know what I mean! Please still continue to R&R! Sorry if there are some mistakes, just tell me, okay? PLEASE NO FLAMING, just bear with me, kei... sorry...)_

**SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: HANA JUNIOR HIGH'S INVISIBLE THIEF**

**Episode Three: KOTARU**

One evening in Ryo's house.

"A thief case, eh?" Byakkouen asked while playing his favorite computer game, "Moguru Tataki", that night. Very UNUSUAL for a domestic animal.

"Yap," Ryo just finished cleaning up the dishes and now wiping his hands dry, "And one of my classmates has been suspect'd in the crime..."

"One of your classmates?" he turned to him, still his paws are in the joystick (well, good luck!), "Who?"

"His name's Kotaru. Kotaru Nomura."

"N-Nomura?" almost surprised by hearing the name, he almost lose grip of the joystick. But when the poor cat turned his attention to the game on the TV screen, his face crumpled upon the sign: GAME OVER. My, he had been lost in the game three times since yesterday! "Oh, man..."

"He's my classmate since last year," Ryo doesn't seem to care at his pet's 'defeat', he sat comfortably on the couch, "My classmates suspect'd him for bein' a nerd and not too open for his feelin's..."

"Nomura..." analyzing his classmate's surname, he turned to him, "I knew his family very well. Don't say that you don't!"

"Man, you DO really have lots of stuff in yer brain!"

"Darn it, you REALLY don't know about his family background! How come that you became his classmate for quite a long time???"

"Well, how could I? Of course, I don't 'coz he's not the type of person who'll just boast 'bout his family!"

"Okay, I'll give you a little hint for it: The Nomuras are one of the richest families in Japan!"

Ryo stood up and his jaw dropped with surprise, "Whatta..."

Byakkouen, walking slowly, continued, "Unbelievable, but that's the truth. During Feudal Japan, the Nomuras were armor manufacturers. They also own a huge sugar and metal plantation and their best family members served as advisers to the Shogun or to the Emperor, himself. Currently they own a television company, a telephone company, a sugar and metal plantation and they own a big share of stocks to some of the most powerful companies in the country!"

Ryo almost cannot speak of what he actually heard about his classmate_. Man, they're humongously RICH... _and he bouced himself back to the couch. But then he remembered Kotaru, he couldn't help but to ask himself, _but if they're THAT rich, why should he hafta steal? I mean, why does he need to? After all, I don't believe that he can actually do it..._

The cat went on with the story, "Recently, Koruya Nomura, president and overall chairman of Nomura TV, along with his wife, died of a plane crash four years ago while on their way to Hong Kong for a business conference, leaving their only child in the care of his uncle..."

When Ryo heard of Kotaru's tragic past,_ So it seems that we're just the same... _he thought sadly.

"Yes, it happened four years ago. The child's uncle begged the media not to report about it immediately or it will cause trauma to the child. It was only a year later when the whole country found out, which became an ultimate controversy regarding the inimmediate report of their deaths, but then everything ends well when his uncle explained everything that when Kotaru learned about it, his nervous breakdown returned that led to his year-long suffering and doesn't want to talk nor hear about it anymore. He is still in the middle of his trauma, up to now, that just might be the cause of his silence. And so they might knew it already but never talked about it..."

_Why didn't I know that...? _His face turned serious but disappointed.

"Ei, Ryo," the cat called him, "Have you tried to read your classmate's mind?"

Ryo went back to reality, "Ha? W-well... no, not yet... Why'd ya ask?"

"I see. Then why don't you try it?"

Surprised, "Why do I hafta? D'ya wanna see me killed by Kotaru? Though I have that STUPID ability, it's not my style to sneak in to other's secrets as my respect to their privacy! Y'know him so well than me so why won't ya do it instead?"

"And WHY?" he growled, "Does he know about your STUPID ability?"

He just swallowed up, "W-well... of course he doesn't! But..."

"Well, FYI: that will help YOU--and him--find the REAL culprit, so that he would not be suspected by anyone else, is that so hard for you?"

"And WHAT'S the connection to that, huh?"

But instead of being answered, Ryo saw his pet in his serious and thinking mode. As he suspected, Byakkouen was analyzing the case: the sudden loss of the students' and the teachers' belongings, Kotaru's extreme passiveness and uneasiness being suspected, the mysterious location of the stolen things, and the reason why only the school became the target of the culprit, "I suspected," and he concluded, "An ONI is behind this!"

"An oni AGAIN?" it seems that he doesn't want to believe, "How come?"

"Well, as you said... the culprit steals anything even within the tighest security, so I suspected that only an evil spirit like an oni can do that, not unless you don't believe in me..."

"What'ya tryin' to say, Kitty?" he huffed.

Once again Byakkouen didn't answer his question and continued talking, "Still I have to analyze what it its nature so it will take us a little long time to do so. But I'm afraid..."

"You're afraid of what?"

"...I'm afraid that the oni is within your classmate himself... that he's POSSESSED..."

"Now that's REDICULOUS!" Ryo stood up with a stern face on the cat, "Y'thought that Kotaru's possessed by an oni? GET REAL, MAN!" and about to walk out and went upstairs, "I can't believe you'll say that to someone y'never saw in yer entire life! And I thought that you'll help me help Kotaru! How could ya be like 'em?"

As he climbed upstairs with heavy feet, Byakkouen panicked a little. "H-hey, Ryo, wait!" He stood up trying to follow him, "Hey! It doesn't mean that it's true! And I didn't mean that he REALLY did it! It's just my hypothesis! Hey!"

But it seems that our little samurai hero is very upset with his pet...

----------

The same night. Nomura Manor.

Byakkouen is ACTUALLY right: Kotaru's family is absolutely wealthy. Just seeing their mansion as big as a duke's villa painted with marvelous white that strikes with the sheer dimness of moonlit night as if the house was painted with a glow-in-the-dark effect. The front garden is accentuated with a large but nice fountain adorned with bronze seraphims dancing around the marble urn that provides water that gives its glow and romance in it. Though already nighttime we can actually guess right that their garden is as spacious as the prince's enchanted one with tall trees that bloom and bear luscious fruits annually; flowers bloom in rainbow and pastel colors although some cannot be seen that clearly, but we could bet that it will be livelier in the early morning, most especially during spring and summer. The big cypress-colored gate is sure tight with greater security as seen in built-in video cameras and a speaker just in the front left of the gate to see who is coming. A black shiny limousine is fast approaching to the gate of the mansion. One of the men in black suits came near the driver's window to check his ID or any means of recognition of being a staff of the household. Seeing that it is clear, the gate slowly opened using their advanced technology and the car immediately entered in.

As they approached the garage, the driver came out first to open its door to his master: it was Kotaru, himself, just came from school since their house is almost two kilometers away--almost as far as the road Ryo walked on from school and vice versa!

He just went to a shortcut from the back of the garage going to his room, which is according to him, the shortest way to go there, since he knew that at this moment his uncle haven't arrived yet. Upon entering there,although it is just a shortcut, we could seethe glamour and spectacle of the interior of the house: very big and fine chandeliers hanging on the smooth pastel white ceiling, windows draped with heavy velvet silk, furnitures as antique and as unique as time, dating back from their ancestors and some are from other countries, thus a clash of rich Eastern and Western culture. Floors and staircases daintly furnished and padded with red carpet to lessen the noise, paintings and beautiful artworks that no one could help but to dazzle. Yes, it might be a dream house everybody in all walks of life wants, full of servants to attend their master's every wish, but in fact a haunted house, only lightened, since no one in the household is allowed to speak nor chat in the middle of their job, since Kotaru grew up a paranoid that they might accidentally or intentionally talk about his parents' sudden death four years ago and the controversy behind hiding the news in secret.

He finally went inside his room almost two times larger than of the living room in Ryo's house, putting his bag on a king-sized skyblue-covered waterbed and started to fix his things inside it, wearing the same face he had from school.

But as he opened his bag, his black eyes went big as he saw what is inside that made him shocked. "H-h-ho-how... how did this happened...?" then he started to get the things one by one: his classmate's cherished blue ballpen. A set of PE uniform. A badminton set. An autographed basketball. A novel. A baseball bat. A pink box containing sewing materials. A blue-hued guitar. A dictionary. A purple purse still with money on it. And the thing that made him even in more shock...

"What... what the hell is Mr. Kuboka's class record doing here???"

With unexplained shocked face, he absently dropped the class record and just dropped himself sitting on the floor. He then remembered the stares and the whispers from his classmates about him. Does it mean that their suspictions were actually TRUE???

But what makes him confused most is his bag. Still in perfect condition and it was not supposed to be convertable into a large one, as Ryo just stated a while ago, he wondered how in the world all those bulky things DID fit into his ordinary schoolbag that can only hold two to three books and notebooks.

He cannot get up due to shock. It seems that his nervous breakdown might come back as he feared, seeing his bag in both amazement and daze. His bag seems to be normal if he looks at it, yet it can UNBELIEVABLY hold as many and as bulky as he pulled out in his bag tonight, aside from his own things and lunchbox.

_But I swear I didn't do ANYTHING!... _his heart protested, _I know that someone's behind this, but I don't know who... But I'm sure that one of them... Yeah, one of them might did this... I really don't remember that I have stolen anything from them... But WHO in the world will do this to me???_

Seconds later, "Kotaru...!" a soothing yet full voice of an old man boomed outside, "Kotaru, are you already here?"

Hearing the voice, he went more stunned. It was actually his uncle calling him to be sure if he is already around. Especially when he will learn about his demeanor in school that might makehis uncle furious that even the media might spread out the rumor that he is a school thief, which was not true, that lead him from his mental disorder.

_But if I tell this to him right away_... his mind continued to lament_, No... he would surely not believe me, especially this_... Staring at his bag_,What shall I do....?_

Wierd, but an idea just came across his mind. Looking for the possible places to hide the stolen things, he picked them all and he just put it in his drawer just underneath his waterbed with shaking hand and unsure face, still dumb at his uncle's continuous call.

The whole room and the whole mansion went dead after that.

----------

_(Thanks to **darkangel1507** for revieving my story! Lemme see... Yes, you're right, this chapter tells about tho the thief is and what's with the thief, as the title says, and the target is the school itself. If you're looking for the action here, or should I say the climax, I'm suggesting you to read this more and wait for the next episodes to come, I'm so sorry if it takes too long to finish an episode due to some commitment that I still have to attend. Anyway, I'm begging ya to please BEAR WITH ME... he-he... You also say that you also have a little hard time to understand the dialogues here. Well, as **Firestorm** asked, yeah, most of the students in Hana Junior High, if not some, are using Southern Accent as what the Americans say. But in Ryo's case, he uses minimal accent to mirror out his character. Some of the characters also, including Byakkouen, doesn't actually use so much slang as that, if not very seldom, only for exclamation purposes. The reason for putting this slang, which in literary term it is called **LOCAL COLOR**, is to emphasize every character in this story, though you noticed that most of my characters are in the slang. Well, although they're in Japan, it's the Eighties, that's why, and also it opens out the youthfulness of a character, that's all. And about the archer and when the rest of the Phantoms will appear? Don't worry, there are more chapters of this you have to wait still, and I'm so sorry again if it takes it very long. But don't worry, I've written this already, four chapters so it will be easy for me to type these here. You'll just wait for the next two chapters, kei? I'm REALLY sorry... But anyway, thanks for reviewing!)_

_(To **Firestorm:** sorry, man, if some of your questions are still unanswered. I didn't noticed that you also asked why most of them are using slang or Southern Accent. The answer is already posted when I answered darkangel1507's question. You're also wondering why Ryo is still not yet victimized by the mysterious thief? Don't worry man, we'll go to that if you'll keep on reading. Anyway, thanks to you, two, for reviewing! And for others yet unable to do it, please do and everything will be appreciated as always! Once again, SALAMAT PO! (bows))_


	5. Episode 5: An Unhappy Childhood

(_**Disclaimer: **I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)_

_(**Author's Notes: **The SECOND CHAPTER is here! Yay! You know what I mean! Please still continue to RR! Sorry if there are some mistakes, just tell me, okay? PLEASE NO FLAMING, just bear with me, kei... sorry...)_

**SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: HANA JUNIOR HIGH'S INVISIBLE THIEF**

**Episode Four: An Unhappy Childhood**

That's it. Scared at the stolen things he saw on his own bag, Kotaru looked for the possible hiding places to put all the crapped things so that no one would notice. He opened all the closets, drawers, hampers, he almost took out all his own clothes and things form those places just to find a suitable place for the lost things with his cold, clammy, shaking hands that almost cannot hold anything anymore due to nervousness. He feared that his mental disorder might come back because of this!

_Why and how in the world is this happening? _His heart cursed while still in a panic to set everything, _How did these STOLEN things were put inside MY bag? And who the hell will do this to me?_

Finally, after minutes of searching, he had found the right place for those: his secret drawer underneath his waterbed that can be locked; its space is enough for them to be placed, even the most bulky such as a basketball and a guitar. He put all of them in a messy manner, still with shaking hands and and unsure disposition. He even managed to lock it with his key hanging to his wallet.

After being raged by the mystery of the stolen things' appearance, he sighed heavily, leaning on the side of his bed.

Unconsciously he just stared at the widened ceiling adorned with a lighted mini crystal chandelier. He didn't look at the light directly that it might just damaged his already-blurred eyes. Still leaning on his bed, Kotaru looks like an emotionless ragged doll staring at nowhere, with shallow thoughts. As if on his face he doesn't worry on who put the stolen objects unnoticeably, or when or why or how did that happen.

But suddenly he went back to his old, nervous self when he heard a familiar voice going upstairs:

"Yes, please put this there. Kotaru will surely like it..."

"Of course, sir, Master Kotaru likes rice cakes, if I'm not mistaken..."

"It's been a long time since I bought him this..."

_Oh, no..._

He got up quickly seeing his devastated room. In panic, he started to fix everything scattered on the floor. One by one he picked up the thrown shirts and coats and overalls and he immediately put them back to their respective cabinets and closets but he doesn't have enough time to fix them thoroughly. He picked up his scattered books and notes and he put them all in his bag. He even tried to fit the bulky ones in the closets and bags already full with other stuff.

His heart beat faster when he eventually heard footsteps. Worse, those footsteps belong to a familiar person when he once again heard his familiar voice!

_I must fix these quick! _he thought, _If he will see me like this, I'm sure he might suspect me of something... What if he will find out about the stolen objects? That will be the worse!_

He went on fixing his room, and the footsteps and the voice drew nearer and nearer. The worst part is that the person was about to go to Kotaru's room to see him!

_Damn it! _He cursed while trying to fit some bulky things in the closet, _He will not believe me! He will not believe me, I swear!_

And he finally closed the last closet and leaned onto it.

And in a good timing, too, that a chubby, clean, cheerful-looking white man entered his room. When he saw Kotaru and the room, he gave a quizzical look.

"...Kotaru?" he called his attention, "Are you ok?"

Kotaru cannot think of a possible answer but he just nod without thinking.

"Are you sick?" the man asked again.

This time, Kotaru shook his head.

The chubby man then pressed his right hand against Kotaru's forehead and put the other hand on his own forehead to check his temperature. He made a checking face and seconds later, "But you don't have a fever at all... What's happening to you?"

He just went silent.

"It seems that you're starting to go back to your uneasy self today. I'm just worried that your mental disorder might come back if you're still thinking about four years ago..."

"It's not that, Uncle..." Kotaru finally replied with a soft, yet shaking voice, "It's just..."

"I'm providing you everything to please you, in order for you to forget about what hapened..." and he pat him on his shoulder, "I just don't want you to be too exhausted."

"I'm not exhausted about that, Uncle. I'm just tired today, so..."

A short pause.

The uncle then remembered about what he had just bought for his nephew. "Are you hungry, son?"

"Well..." he was about to say that he is not hungry at all, but his stomach suddenly rumbled. The uncle just chucled when he heard the ashaming sound of hunger.

"Well that's obvious!" And he invited him, "Come, now, I have something that will surely make you forget about everything."

"What's that?" puzzled.

"Rice cakes, of course, silly! Isn't that your favorite?"

Kotaru pause for a second. Then, "Y... Y-yeah... yeah, right, my favorite... Hey, i've never tasted one for almost a month now..."

"That's why I bought that for you, for I know that you've already missed it!" and the uncle let Kotaru lead him downstairs, "Hurry up, son, or it will get cold!"

"...Yeah... right... thanks, Uncle..."

Kotaru was finally convinced by his uncle to join him for dinner, and rice cakes, his favorite, will be their dessert. But despite that, still he is thinking about what happened a while ago. He worried about his secret closet undeneath his bed that someone might discover it. But the he tried to convince himself that no one will notice it for sure, and he was damn sure, but with butterflies in his stomach.

But from the window of his room, a shadowy figure appeared in a tree. The light of the waning gibbous moon masks his true form. Looking closer, a set of shiny white teeth is shown. A grin. With reason unidentified.

But just a meter away, another figure is floating in the middle of the night, blocking the moon, watching the former keeping a eye on a particular person... or a thing. Or a event that might change the life of the person involved...

But he has a pair of nasty, suspecting crystal blue eyes.

It seems that Byakkouen's words are coming true...

* * *

The following day. Everyone is out for their P.E. class. Kotaru excused for a while to get a drink. Ryo, on the other hand, is keeping an eye of him. By that time the boysare having abasketball exercise. The teacher was talking to another teacher then.

"Seems like you're watchin' him, eh?" Jumbo noticed him. "That's good! At least ya can track 'im down to see where he's goin'..."

But is it REALLY what Ryo is doing now?

Using his special ability to read people's minds, Ryo finally managed to enter into Kotaru's thoughts just meters away. And in a few seconds...

His face turned completely BLANK.

Jumbo was puzzled about his friend been dazed once again. "Huh? Ryo?" he shrugged him lightly. "Ei, Ryo!" he called him, "Hey, man, you're not jokin', ain't ya?" and he shrugged him harder, "Hey! Don't do this to me! SPEAK UP, SANADA! DO-YOU-HEAR-MEEEH?"

* * *

Ryo saw himself in the darkness, floating into nowhere. "Now... where am I?" he asked himself. Remembering his purpose of being in the middle of the dark, he began to 'search' for Kotaru's thoughts.

Seconds later, he heard a child crying.

"...Mommy... D-dad-dy... Hu-hu... Mom-my..."

More sobs.

Ryo then started to track down the origin of the poor, crying voice of a child, while at the same time sobs continuously filled the darkness. Turning desperate, he kept on looking until he noticed a sheer light from behind him. He wondered as he saw a television switched on. But what strucked him most is when he finally found the owner of the voice: it was indeed a child of rather between ages three to four crying in front of TV. He tried to console the child, whom he had guessed that it was a boy because of his navy blue sweater and white overalls and his hair. His short, but a little shaggy vandyke hair. He thought that it can be a way to find out who the boy is.

But there is no need for him to know. For it was the news on TV who revelealed his identity, an identity that made Ryo easily guessed about it that made him seriously stunned...

_There is a plane crash occured near Mt. Hanmei, just reaching Hong Kong. The Air Jumbo Flight no. A7735 from Tokyo International Airport, Japan, Has 140 passengers loaded, including Nomura TV President, Koruya Nomura and his wife, Eiki. No one in the passengers survived the said crash..._

And his face turned like a shocked mannequin. The wails and the sobs gradually turning louder and louder until he almost screams. And he knows who is the child of the killed parents mentioned in the news...

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Then he decided to comfort the child by himself, without thinking of better ways to calm him, but in order for him to know more of Kotaru's thoughts, he must do so. _Kotaru... _Ryo stepped ahead trying to reach for him.

"Hu-hu-hu-hu..."

But to his surprise, the more he wanted to comfort him by going near him, the more he is taken far away. And Kotaru's wails became louder and louder.

_Kotaru..._

"Mommy...! Daddy...!"

_Please, stop cryin'..._

"Mommy! Hu-hu-hu! Don't leave me!"

_Stop cryin'..._

"Daddy! Daddy!"

_Stop, please..._

"Don't... leave me here..."

_Stop..._

"I'M SCARED!"

_STOP IT!_

...The scenario suddenly disappeared...

Ryo was almost exhausted at what he had just seen. He even didn't noticed the teard that welled from his tiger-blue eyes...

After he wiped away the unneeded tears, another scenario took place seconds later.

He saw himself in a very beautiful garden, almost can be compared to the story of "The Secret Garden". On his right is a vast field of beautiful sunflowers that some were already almost as big as a person's head, looking to the gay sun. On his left were an array of apricot and apple trees bearing luscious fruits in their splendid color.

And in front of him is a garden dome, where a group of children were playing happily.

These children, he guessed, were aged four to seven, depending on their appearance, height and voice. The game that they're playing can be considered another factor. He smiled on the kids who seemed to take his weariness away from what he had just saw a while ago.

But then he remembered his motive when he saw one of the children there, in the center. He was surrounded by children of his age, in a big circle, laughing. Ryo must be happy to see the children playing...

But the smile turned into a frown when he noticed deeply that...

The child in the middle was crying.

And the children around him were actually teasing him! Singing in a playful catchy tune with such hurting words...

_Matchstick! Matchstich!  
Just one touch and he'll get sick!_

And they laughed, the poor little boy went on crying more.

What's the worst, he even recognized the outfit the boy wore at that time: the same outfit he saw on another boy in front of TV. And the hair... Ryo then finally recognized the child and the surroundings. But seeing the scene once more, he turned very cross. He wanted to scold the children for being so bad at the poor, recognized boy, but then the boy ran away from the dome, away from their pranks. Thinking that it will be a good way to know him more about his problem, Ryo decided to follow him.

The little boy screamed, calling his mother, while the pranks and the laughter became louder, too.

"Mommy! Mommy!" one imitated, and they laughed.

The little boy went on running, but it might be a matter of chance, his clothes changed into a black striped sweatshirt and a pair of white pants. He even grew up a bit while running. But the pranks went louder and louder.

"That's right! Go to your mommy!" and they laughed.

Minutes later, his clothes changed once more to anavy blue turtleneck sweater and dark blue pants, wearing suspenders and thick-stemed glasses, and grew up a little older. But the pranks won't stop.

"Your pants must be wet now!" and they laughed harder.

Ryo noticed everything from the start. The little boy grew up into a teenager physically, but psychologically he still has the mind of a child. And as he grew older, the more he became recognizable, now that he is wearing the Hana uniform.

And the more he became clear to him...

He followed him till his legs are still strong to catch up. As soon as he is near to him, he held his breath ready and...

"Kotaru!"

But it seems that he didn't hear him. So he called again.

"KOTARU!"

But he didn't turn back.

The clearer Kotaru hears a voice, the faster he want to run as far as he could, far enough to be unable to reach.

"Kotaru, stop!" he begged as he followed him, "I wanna talk to ya!"

But he didn't respond.

"Listen, man!" while running, "Kotaru, why'd ya hafta run? Ya can just ignore what they're sayin' to ya! If that's the reason whyy'don't mingle so much, why don't ya just forget it?"

Nothing happened. The chase continued.

"Kotaru! I know how you feel! I'm just like ya!"

ButKotaru didn't hear anything still.

While running, Ryo then realized that he is inside Kotaru's thoughts_.Oh, shoot, I forgot! I can't talk to him while I'm here! Ain't that stupid idea!_

Yes, he really can't talk to Kotaru since he is in his thoughts. How is that impossible? He then remembered Byakkouen's words on the first day of his training as a Samurai Phantom:

_"You have the ability to read people's hearts and thoughts. You can even enter into their thoughts, so that you could also feel what they feel, see what they see, and think what they think that time. Only that you don't have enough ability to talk to them in their thoughts. That's another category. You are only allowed to witness or listen to their inner thoughts so you can determine their problems..."_

_I'm really STUPID! _he thought to himself, _I almost forgot 'bout that!_

So he decided to just follow him, not thinking where in the world they will go. As he follows him, the scene of a beautiful garden slowly began to change again into a darker place, as if Ryo went back to the darkness where he started in search of his classmate's problem.

But in his surprise, a great monstrous shadow appeared before Kotaru, with an evil laughter. Despite that the shadow appeared before him, the nerd went on running towards it!

"Kotaru, DON'T!" Ryo warned him. But once again forgotting the cat's words, he almost cursed himself for being stupid at calling him in his thoughts. The nerd still didn't stop, and the shadow grew bigger and bigger conquering the light with evil laughter.

"HAR-HAR-HAR-HAR-HAR...!"

Panicked, Ryo tried to stop Kotaru again, unmindful of the cat's words days ago.

"Kotaru, COME BACK HERE!"

But the shadow opened its mouth and, "Come here, Kotaru... they're waiting for you...'

Who are THEY?

"Kotaru! Don't listen to him!"

But Kotaru had only his eyes for the shadow as he went closer to it. Ryo still tried to chase him, but it seems to be too late. The shadow had conquered Kotaru's body... and heart...

...And disappeared before him.

"KOTARU!"

* * *

"SANADA, WATCH OUT!"

POOIIINNNKKK!

Well, almost everyone from the boys had avoided Luna's spike, except Ryo, the volleyball bounced and hitted DIRECTLY to his face! It almost knocked him down, thus his mind-reading ability had finally stopped.

Luna and the twins went to the site to get the ball... and probably to see the knocked classmate. "Oh, ma' gosh!" she gasped when she saw Ryo almost unconcious, with rolling eyes. "Sanada, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!..." while bowing several times.

Everyone looked at the poor raven boy. "Wow, man!" Chibi reacted, "Now that's what I called 'hit by Cupid's arrow'!"

"I thought it's a BALL..." Jumbo commented.

Chibi tied to talk to Ryo. "Hey, dude... y'all right?"

"Serves 'im right!" Jumbo stated.

"And WHY?"

"He's almost in ecstacy minutes ago. I thought he'll be a damn ragdoll forever, he's in a total daze, man!"

"Why?"

"Why'd ya ask me that? I'm not his doctor or somethin'!"

Suddenly Ryo spoke up faintly... "...Just shut up... and help me here..."

The two looked at each other with wonder.

But seriously, Ryo had made up his mind: he will going to talk to Kotaru PERSONALLY after P.E. Class. And he will do ANYTHING regarding his behavior.

* * *

_(SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY, GUYS! Those damn papers and rehersals just keeping me from not continuing this! Since the last time I've posted the third episode... Worst, I lost my copy of this! But good thing I've found it in our library, thank God it's saved! I thought I couldn't go on with this anymore... Anyway, this is the fourth episode, so tell me if it's bad or better or whatever you thinkin of my work... Still, R&R! Comments and suggestions are welcome! By the way, thanks for those who have already read and review my previous work! Episode five up next! I'M REALLY SORRY!)_


End file.
